Decoy



Patented Feb. 8V, 1927.l

' UNIT-ED* smeg' 1 .WILLIAM Bowan-DMATTHAI, or'eanmsoiv, `1vrAmfI.A1vD.

i DEooY. i

ap'piieaannleaoetobere,192s. semaine.139,361.,H

This invention yrelates to improvements in decoysandhas for its object yto provide an improved construction of decoy Vfor the use of Sportsmen in shooting wild chicks.

Gther objects of the invention are to provide a vdecoy that will be of the sizeof a live duck; that will be `self-righting when `thrown into the water; that will be much lighter thanthe conventional wooden decoy and in ,which the head will be reinforcedin such 'way that when grasped, as is the custom 1n handling decoys, it will not readily l.break off, and which, in case the head is mutilated by shot or otherwise damaged, it

may'readily be removed and a new head substituted. j I l lViththese and other objects in view, the

invention is illustrated in the :accompanying Fig. 1 shows theimproved decoy in side i Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10l designates a comparatively thick and heavy wooden base block of a somewhat oval or elliptical shape and having a flaty bottom 11, and in this instance a .flat upper or top surface at- 12.V

'On the flat base block Ivmount the bodyY 13, of the decoy.V

This body v13 is formed of a lighter material'than the base block, such as cork, and 1n actual practice I have found it quite satisfactory to make use of ground cork whichA isV suitably shaped andinolded or pressed together with or without a binder,`-there Y frequently being sufficient resinv in the cork to serve as a binder when the cork is heatedV j vlines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, andv as vit and shaped to hold the same together.

,Not onlyv does the cork produce la body that is light in weightbut I find in practice that it will not splinter` and split like wood or be damaged as metal'will be when struck by shot.

yThe cork body may readily be painted in imitation of theduck and is not subject to mutilation or scars as is. wood or metal.

,'When forming or shaping the cork body 13, I provide a longitudinal groove orrecess 14,'in the topA thereofatthe front..

In this instance the longitudinal groove or' recess 14 has al flat bottom` 15, and oppositely-inolined side walls 16 Vand 17 flaring as they extend upwardlyfrom 'the fiat boti tom 15, as canbe drawing.

In practice I have found that certain acl--n vantages, presently to be explained, .are

gained by locating the longitudinal grooveVV or recess 14C slightly to one side of the longitudinal 'center of the body 13 as may bel seen in Figs. 2 and?) of the drawing.

From the base 15 of the groove 14;, tothe l V`bottoni vsurface ofthe cork body13, I provide a vertical passagej18 and. in the wood Perte-r N seen in Figa-2 of then -Y base 1Q I'provide anotherf'vvertical passage j 19 which registers with theypassagej'lSy in the body, both for a purpose to be' ei'z- A plained.

The head in practice I em'ployw'oodv for this 'pur' pose, and the base ofv the zneck is providedl with opposite beveled .sides 22 and 23 anda flat bottom 24.- vso asto conform in shapefto the shape of the longitudinal groove or re-u. i i

Y 2O andlneck 21 `Aof thedecoy p l may be formed of any Jdesired material [but an lirregul.arly-shaped 'if and head to the body, as will now be ex.- j

plained.'l Y i Y, v .Y

A long pin 25, having :a screw-threaded upper end 26,7.mayfbe kand preferably is passed freelyup throughv thefpassage 19' in the wood base and then freely up through thepassage 18in the cork body .V13 and the upper threaded end'2'5 of this pin screws into the base of the neck 21, and extends well up'into the head 20 Vas shown in broken Y,

screws into lthe neckv this pin draws the.v

so it cannot turn.

The vlower end of this pin 25, is provided with an eye 27 which seats against a washer therefore is seated against the'bottom of this the bday fis, i prende :i

head'and neck down into the body-groove. 14, and holds them .firmly in that groove bolt or screw 29 which extends' into both the wooden base l0 and the cork body 13 so vas l to securely hold the two together at the rear end of the decoy.

The eye 27 on the lower end of' pin or screw 25, serves for the engagement of an anchor line by which the decoy may be ancho-red in position.

In handling decoys it is common practice to lift the same by the head and as heretofore constructed the heads frequently break oiif` causing a considerable loss. By means oit' the present invention the heads are reiir forced by the single retaining screw and are much less liable to damage during handling.

lVhen a. head is damaged by shot as frequently occurs, the entire decoy is notJ a loss, because the head may be readily removed and a. new one substituted. Y

Shot entering the body does no material damage and' can hardly be located.

Because of the heavier baseand the lighter body together with the slight off-setting ot the head and neck with respect to the longitudinal center of the body7 the decoy willl turn upright no matter how it is thrown or placed inthe water. V

If turned over by waves or strong` wind or by contact -with a boat, the decoy will immediately right itself because of the aforesaid; base and body construction.

Having described'my invention, I claim,-

l'. In a floating decoy the combination with a decoy body of a light weightmateriahof a hea-vier base having a flat Vbottoni said base being of a material that will float in water, a neck and head separate 'from the with the -said projection and recess engaged.

2. In a floating decoy the combination Y with a base lia-ving flat bottom ot a decoy body seated on the base and provided at its upper side and one end with ya. .longitudinal groove, a head and neck, the latter having` a` bottom shaped to seat in the longitudinal groove of the body whereby to 'be held against turning on the body and a fastening ext-ending up through the base and body and out through the longitudinal groove into the neck to Vdraw the neck down in said groove.

3. In. a ioating decoy the combination with a flat wooden vthick base of substantially an elliptical shape of a cork decoy body on said base7 a neck and head on top of the corkv body at on-e end thereof and aj fastening into the neck to secure both thebody and neck to the base. f

4;. In a Afloating decoy the combination with a flat thick wooden base, of a cork decoy body on said base, a neck andhead on the cork body at one vend thereof and lo-V WILLIAMl HOWARD MATTHAI.

extending up through the thick Wooden base i and through theV cork body and screwing signa-iV 

